Colts Make Two Moves
- The Colts re-signed cornerback Darryl Morris and placed fellow corner Frankie Williams on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list.
Colts’ Andrew Luck Out Thursday
As expected, the Colts will be without quarterback Andrew Luck when they face the Steelers on Thanksgiving in a battle of 5-5 AFC playoff contenders. Luck suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of the Colts’ 24-17 win over the Titans last Sunday and hasn’t practiced since.
With Luck on the shelf, the Colts will turn to backup Scott Tolzien as their starter and promote Stephen Morris from the practice squad to serve as their No. 2 signal-caller. The 29-year-old Tolzien has two NFL starts under his belt – both with the Packers in 2013 – and has completed 56 of 91 passes (61.5 percent) for 721 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions in his pro career.
Luck, who missed nine games last year with various injuries and posted underwhelming numbers, had bounced back this season prior to his latest ailment. The fifth-year man has hit on 62.9 percent of his attempts (up from 55.3 in 2015), thrown for 2,827 yards and added 19 scores against eight picks. With a Thursday game this week and a Monday night matchup against the Jets in Week 13, Luck will have extra time to work his way back for the Colts’ next contest. In the meantime, the Colts won’t have the face of their franchise against a Steelers team that crushed them, 45-10, a year ago.
Andrew Luck In Concussion Protocol
Andrew Luck‘s status for a Thanksgiving-night game against the Steelers is in doubt after the fifth-year quarterback ventured into concussion protocol, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Right now, the Colts aren’t hopeful that Luck could be cleared in time for the pivotal game, so they are planning for Scott Tolzien to get the nod, Rapoport reports (on Twitter). If the backup is forced into action, it would be the second straight season the Colts will face the Steelers without Luck. Pittsburgh beat Indianapolis 45-10 in Week 13 last year.
Chuck Pagano said the team will prepare Tolzien to be the starter this week, with Luck needing to navigate several stages in hopes of returning by Thursday night. Luck is being evaluated for a concussion by this distinction since going into concussion protocol doesn’t mean the quarterback has one. Luck wasn’t feeling well after Sunday’s win against the Titans, per Pagano.
The Colts sit 5-5 and in second place in the AFC South and two games back in the conference’s wild-card race. Luck has started every game last year after missing nine starts last season, which represent his only games missed since being drafted No. 1 overall.
Formerly Aaron Rodgers‘ backup in Green Bay, Tolzien signed in Indianapolis this offseason but has scant starting experience. A Rodgers 2013 injury left Tolzien in command of the Packers’ offense briefly, but the team signed Matt Flynn after Tolzien made two starts, going 0-1-1. He’s a career 61 percent passer, with 90 of his 91 regular-season attempts coming during that 2013 stretch. The 29-year-old Tolzien has one career touchdown pass and five interceptions.
Luck’s odds at playing Thursday appear slim due to the short time between the Colts’ Week 11 and Week 12 games, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com noting (on Twitter) Davante Adams doing so earlier this season represents among the few exceptions.
This season, Luck’s completing a career-high 62.9 percent of his throws. The former Stanford prodigy has thrown for 2,827 yards, 19 touchdowns, with eight interceptions.
Colts Move Kendall Langford To IR
The Colts placed Kendall Langford on IR after the defensive end played this season with knee pain. Indianapolis promoted cornerback Christopher Milton from its practice squad to take Langford’s place on the roster.
Langford functioned as the Colts’ top defensive lineman last season after signing a free agent deal earlier that year but hasn’t been the same player in 2016. The 30-year-old 3-4 end underwent offseason arthroscopic knee surgery, and although he returned in time for the Colts’ opener and played in seven games, Langford struggled to find his form. The former Dolphins and Rams talent failed to register a sack in those seven games, this coming after he recorded a career-high seven in 2015.
Chuck Pagano announced the Colts were shutting Langford down in late October. He did not return to action, so that shutdown will be an extensive maneuver.
Langford started 16 games for Indianapolis last season after being benched by the Rams a year prior. He’s under contract through the 2018 season after signing a four-year, $22MM deal last March.
The former Dolphins third-round pick all seven of the games he played this season, bringing the ninth-year veteran’s start total to 113 in his career. Indianapolis will now turn to Hassan Ridgeway and Lavar Edwards to supplement starters Henry Anderson and Arthur Jones. Anderson is also dealing with an injury and is questionable for Week 11.
Return Possible For Colts LB Trent Cole?
The Colts have yet to use their IR-DTR spot this season but there is some reason to believe that Trent Cole could be their one player to come back. Cole was spotted at practice today working with the team’s rehab staff, a first for the season (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star). It’s not immediately clear whether Cole can play again this year, but it is a promising sign.
Cole was placed on injured reserve in September with a back injury and he had surgery soon after. Typically, back surgery is the type of procedure that would knock a player out for an entire season. However, it’s possible that Cole’s recovery is ahead of schedule and at 4-5, the season is still alive for Indianapolis.
The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $14MM contract with the Colts in March of 2015. In his first year with the team, Cole had just three sacks. This offseason, he accepted a pay cut that trimmed his cap hit for 2016 from $7.125MM to $4.875M, which is perhaps more in line with his ability at this stage. Eligible for free agency in the spring, a return this season could be Cole’s only chance at keeping his paycheck at the same level.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/16/16
Wednesday’s practice squad changes:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Marcus Leak (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of FOX59)
- Cut: G Adam Redmond
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DL David King
- Cut: DL Earl Okine
New England Patriots
- Signed: FB Glenn Gronkowski
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Kenny Lawler (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Colts Audition Five
The Colts worked out a cadre of players today, including veteran offensive lineman Dallas Thomas, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Thomas, 27, started 26 games during his four-year career with Miami, but was cut earlier this year. Indianapolis also auditioned cornerback Will Davis, wide receivers Antwan Goodley and Dres Anderson, and linebacker Davis Tull.
- Former Colts defensive back D’Joun Smith worked out for the Packers today, reports Caplan (Twitter link). Smith was a third-round pick in 2015.
Colts Claim Deon King
- The Colts announced that they have claimed linebacker Deon King off waivers from the Chargers and waived wide receiver Marcus Leak.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/16
Wednesday’s minor NFL moves:
- The Colts announced (via Twitter) that they have promoted rookie wide receiver Marcus Leak from the practice squad to the active roster. The undrafted rookie out of Maryland was waived by the team back in August, and he landed on the team’s practice squad in mid-October. Leak will presumably fill the roster spot that was previously held by wideout Tevaun Smith, who was waived by the Colts yesterday.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/9/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Scott Simonson, OT Pearce Slater
- Cut: TE Beau Sandland
- Placed On IR: DT Eric Crume
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Cornelius Edison
- Cut: OL Colin Kelly
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Ryan Murphy
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Jeff Adams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Tevaun Smith
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Earl Okine, CB Terrance Mitchell
- Cut: CB Tyler Patmon
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE MyCole Pruitt
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Brian Dixon
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR George Farmer